The States Worst Affected by Travel Sickness: Michigan Ranks 30th

Article courtesy of GuruWalk.

Michigan ranks 30th with 37.85 average monthly searches per 100,000 people related to travel sickness.

Motion sickness can be combated with easy tactics such as bringing ginger biscuits to snack on and sitting in a certain part of the vehicle, experts reveal.

The most common search terms related to travel sickness in Texas were ‘motion sickness,’ ‘motion sickness medication,’ and ‘motion sickness pills.’

New research has named the states where residents are the most and least concerned about travel sickness, with Michigan ranking 30th.

A new study by free walking tour platform GuruWalk analyzed over 20 search terms related to travel sickness, such as ‘how to get rid of car sickness’ and ‘motion sickness pills,’ to identify the states most affected.

Michigan’s findings

According to the findings, Michigan ranks 30th among the states worst affected by travel sickness, with 37.85 average monthly searches per 100,000 residents. This is 11% lower than the national average of 42.41 searches per 100,000 people.

The top travel sickness-related search terms in the state are ‘motion sickness medication,’ ‘motion sickness,’ and ‘motion sickness pills,’ with 1,075, 915, and 548 average monthly searches, respectively.

Rank	State	Average monthly searches per 100,000 people
30.	Michigan	37.85

Full ranking

Hawaii is by far the state most worried about travel sickness. The state averaged 107.48 monthly searches per 100,000 residents, which is 153% higher than the national average.

The most common search terms related to travel sickness in the state were ‘motion sickness medication,’ ‘motion sickness,’ and ‘motion sickness pills,’ with 577, 296, and 323 average monthly searches, respectively.

Alaska had the second-highest rate of searches related to travel sickness, with 58.97 average monthly searches per 100,000 residents, 39% higher than the U.S. average. ‘Motion sickness medication,’ ‘motion sickness,’ and ‘motion sickness pills’ are the top three searches in Alaska.

California residents search for travel sickness 37% more than the average American, with the third-highest average monthly searches per 100,000 people, at 57.89.

The most frequent travel sickness-related searches are ‘motion sickness pills,’ ‘motion sickness medication,’ and ‘motion sickness,’ with 5,158, 5,067, and 4,850 average monthly searches, respectively.

The top 10 states most worried about travel sickness

Rank	State	Average monthly searches per 100,000 people
1.	Hawaii	107.48
2.	Alaska	58.97
3.	California	57.89
4.	Florida	55.56
5.	Nevada	53.07
6.	New York	50.86
7.	Texas	49.11
8.	Georgia	48.75
9.	Maryland	48.10
10.	Washington	47.60

In contrast, West Virginia is the state least anxious about feeling sick while traveling, with only 29.75 average monthly searches per 100,000 people. This is 30% below the national average.

Mississippi had the second-lowest average monthly searches per 100,000 residents, at 30.02, which is 29% less than the U.S. average.

Montana residents are the third least concerned about travel sickness, with only 31.93 average monthly searches per 100,000 people, 25% below the national average.

The top 10 states are least worried about travel sickness

Rank	State	Average monthly searches per 100,000 people
1.	West Virginia	29.75
2.	Mississippi	30.02
3.	Montana	31.93
4.	Idaho	31.98
5.	Arkansas	32.33
6.	Oklahoma	32.85
7.	Kentucky	33.44
8.	Kansas	35.14
9.	Indiana	35.30
10.	Wisconsin	35.36

Carolina Martinez, from GuruWalk, commented on the findings,

“It’s clear that more geographically isolated states, such as Hawaii and Alaska, are the most concerned about travel sickness. Both rely heavily on boats and planes for inter-island and interstate travel, and therefore, naturally, residents are exposed to more scenarios where motion sickness can occur.

“In comparison, states like West Virginia and Mississippi are less dependent on air and sea travel and have fewer international visitors. Landlocked states such as Kentucky and Indiana also don’t experience the same island-hopping journeys as Hawaii.

“With states such as California, New York, and Washington, urban travel and commuting is common. With residents often relying on subways, ferries, and long car journeys, awareness of motion sickness becomes a bigger factor in daily life.”

The most common searches related to travel sickness in the U.S. are ‘motion sickness medication,’ ‘motion sickness,’ and ‘motion sickness pills,’ with 39,597, 37,139, and 23,334 average monthly searches, respectively.

This suggests that many Americans are actively looking for medical solutions to manage the symptoms of travel sickness.

GuruWalk has shared alternative methods to deal with travel sickness if medication isn’t available or effective.

Before you travel

Avoid eating heavy, greasy, or spicy meals in the hours before traveling. These foods are harder to digest, and the fullness can add to discomfort, increasing the feeling of nausea caused by travel sickness.

Instead, opt for a small, plain snack, such as crackers or a banana, and stay hydrated with water.

If possible, pick a seat where the movement is least noticeable, for example, near the front of a bus, over the wing of a plane, or the middle of a boat.

During travel

If traveling by car or boat, try focusing on a fixed point on the horizon. This gives your brain a stable visual reference, reducing the sensory mismatch that causes dizziness.

Reading or interacting with screens can increase this, so it is best to find a different activity to occupy yourself, such as listening to music or a podcast.

Some people find that chewing gum or sucking on mints helps, as the increased saliva production can neutralize stomach acids and ease queasiness.

Ginger can also reduce vomiting by soothing your stomach and blocking signals to your brain that trigger nausea.

A simple trick is to bring ginger biscuits as a travel snack, which can be bought from supermarkets and easily fit in a carry-on bag.

Sources:

Google Keyword Planner

Methodology:

The study used data from Google Keyword Planner to reveal the rankings, following this process:

First, a seed list of initial search terms was established based on the commonly Googled terms relating to travel sickness. The full list of terms is listed below.

Then the monthly average search volume for each term in each state was taken from Google Keyword Planner.

Once this was complete, the total number of monthly average searches in each location was compared against its population. This established the monthly average searches per 100,000 people, allowing for accurate comparison of the search rate across locations of differing sizes.

This final figure was used to sort the locations into the final ranking.

Full list of search terms included in the analysis:

Motion sickness

Motion sickness pills

Motion sickness medicine

How to cure motion sickness permanently

Car sickness

Motion sickness supportive therapy

What causes motion sickness

Motion sickness symptoms

Motion sickness medication

Car sick

What is motion sickness

Best motion sickness medicine

Motion sickness treatment

How to get rid of motion sickness

How to stop motion sickness after it starts

How long does motion sickness last

What causes car sickness

How to stop motion sickness

Motion sickness treatments

How to get rid of car sickness

Why do I get car sick

Travel sickness

States ranked by the number of searches related to travel sickness

Rank	State	Average monthly searches per 100,000 people
1.	Hawaii	107.48
2.	Alaska	58.97
3.	California	57.89
4.	Florida	55.56
5.	Nevada	53.07
6.	New York	50.86
7.	Texas	49.11
8.	Georgia	48.75
9.	Maryland	48.10
10.	Washington	47.60
11.	Massachusetts	47.59
12.	Illinois	47.09
13.	Virginia	46.60
14.	Delaware	44.98
15.	Utah	44.21
16.	Colorado	44.18
17.	Connecticut	44.05
18.	New Jersey	44.04
19.	Oregon	43.76
20.	North Carolina	43.36
21.	Tennessee	42.08
22.	Arizona	41.93
23.	Rhode Island	40.98
24.	Minnesota	40.90
25.	Wyoming	40.24
26.	Pennsylvania	39.97
27.	South Carolina	39.05
28.	North Dakota	38.69
29.	Vermont	38.35
30.	Michigan	37.85
31.	Maine	37.14
32.	New Mexico	36.93
33.	Ohio	36.79
34.	Louisiana	36.68
35.	Missouri	36.55
36.	New Hampshire	36.32
37.	Nebraska	36.31
38.	South Dakota	36.26
39.	Alabama	36.13
40.	Iowa	36.04
41.	Wisconsin	35.36
42.	Indiana	35.30
43.	Kansas	35.14
44.	Kentucky	33.44
45.	Oklahoma	32.85
46.	Arkansas	32.33
47.	Idaho	31.98
48.	Montana	31.93
49.	Mississippi	30.02
50.	West Virginia	29.75